DAY 18 - Monday / Surf Hostel, Bundoran, Donegal - Sligo - Donegal - Enniskillen Fermanagh - Ferry Terminal 2, Dublin - Ferry Terminal at Dún Laoghaire, Dublin / Road 220 miles - Ferry 68 miles - Road 248 miles

04/08/2014 / Monday / Surf Hostel, Bundoran, Donegal - Sligo - Donegal - Enniskillen Fermanagh - Ferry Terminal 2, Dublin - Ferry Terminal at Dún Laoghaire, Dublin / Road 220 miles - Ferry 68 miles - Road 248 miles

Monday and my travelling back home day.

Today didn't start off so well, I really should have taken the opportunity of gotten fuel the night before. All fuel stations this morning are closed till 8am, leaving me having to back track to Sligo to find an Esso with a pay by card pump, which I only discover, after having sat right next to it, waiting for the garage to open, do I happened to look down and read the white writing on the floor which says the magic words 'Pay At Pump', what an idiot!

The only trouble with the pay as you go pumps, is the fact that you have to firstly tell the machine exactly how much you need. Now I had some fuel already in my 15 litre tank, but I wasn’t sure how much I needed to brim it. So thinking ahead I put only 5 litres in, then by the time the petrol station are open, and I'm further down the road, I can then fill up again in the usual way.

From Sligo, I follow the N15 to Donegal, midway stopping to finally brim the tank up. But as I pull up to the pump, and got off, I promptly lose all sense of balance and the bike falls against the pumps. I managed to lift it away, without damaging anything, but clearly I hadn’t woken up yet.  After fuelling up, I parked the bike next to the shop and pop in to pay and grab a coffee, taking 10 minutes to get my head straight. In that time I watch a middle aged man I had spotted, walking along the road dressed in a wool suit, walk passed on his way to the nearest town and it occurred to me, how little you see people just walking to their destination, rather than driving or using other forms of transport nowadays.

Feeling more awake I soon blast up to Donegal and complete my circuit of Ireland, tooting my horn in a small personal triumph, before stopping to punch in my final waypoint, Ferry Terminal 2 Dublin into the Satnav. 

Fig. 1 - The A46, a gorgeous road on a sunny day.

The Satnav backtracks me South back along the N15 to then turn East onto the N3, which became the A46, as I cross over the border into the North of Ireland, a beautiful road leading into Enniskillen. I stopped to take a quick photo, of the now open Hostel and the street where my new friend Malina lives. I would have phoned her up if I had her number but I would of risked losing the morning, instead of making tracks.

The ride to Dublin at full pelt was tough going as I knew I'd miss my boat, but I arrived at T2 hoping to get on the next available one home. Luckily because I was late they sent me down to Dun Laoghaire, to catch the next high speed crossing but warning me that there would be a small fee. I arrived in reasonable time with 10 to 15 minutes to spare, I didn’t mention the fee and luckily, neither did they.

I boarded, this time without making any new friends and as I knew the drill on this type of boat, I quickly went to the loo and made my way to the restaurant, getting some food before the rush and then found a comfy seat at the back, near the open doors to stay cool and catch a snooze.

As I was eating in the restaurant the TV was on giving me surround sound news 24 which I didn’t wish to see, dragging me back to the everyday, it’s nice, not to be in the loop.

I arrive at Holyhead and then have a non-stop ride, bar fuel and food of course, and eventually arrived back home in Norfolk at 22:00 completely and absolutely knackered out, but at the same time buzzingly happy having completed, some 2600 miles, in two weeks of circumnavigating the 'Emerald Isle' that is Ireland.